Roving frame



March 18 1924.

G. F. ALBRECHT ET AL BOVING FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. V, 1923 March 18 1924. A 1,487,685

G. F. ALBRECHT Er AL ROVING FRAME Filed Dec. '7. 1923 2 Shasta-Sheet 2 F, E [wwf/wrs:

M,... @YW/' 1 '1 by @WPP fida@ Patented Mar. 18, 19.24.

Y trainee PATENT Fries.

GEORGE F. ALBIR-ECHT AND HARRY BROOK, lOF VOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND, .AS-

SIGNORS T0 VOONSOCKET MACHINE da PRESS CO., INC., OF WOONSO'CKET,

RHODE ISLAND, A. CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

ROVING FRAME.

Application led December 7, 1923.

To all whom t may conce/m.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. ALBRECHT and HARRY Bacon, citizens of the United States, residing at iVoonsocket, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Roving Frames, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The features of the invention apply in connection with the chain-drive mechanism employed in fly-frames, such as :roving frames, more particularly that employed for driving the so-called bobbin-sha-fts, i. e., bobbin driving shafts; with the support-ing bea-rings of the said shafts; and with the cover for the drive-chain and the sprocketwheels with which it engages.

The invention comprises an improvement in connection with the tightener-roll devices of chain-drive mechanism; also an improve- Y ment in connection with the bearings for the butts or end-sections of the said shafts; and also an improvement in the mea-ns of supporting the cover aforesaid in proper relations with the parts which it encloses. Y

The first improvement applies in the case of chain-drive mechanisms of the type comprising a sprocket-cliain connection between a sprocket-wheel that does not traverse up and down and one or more sprocket-wheels that are carried up and down by the traverse-rail in its traversing movements. It is herein embodied in acne-step sprocketchain connection between a driving sprocketwheel that is actuated through a fly-frame compound or differential, and a driven sprocket-wheel upon one or each of the bobbin-shafts of the ily-frame. It has been proposed heretofore to provide a chain-drive mechanism of such t-ype with a movably mounted tightener-roll which engages with the said sprocket-chain intermediate the driving sprocket-wheel and the driven sprocketivheel or wheels for the purpose' of taking up slack in the chain and paying out chain as the distance of the driven wheel or wheels 'from the driving wheel varies in the movement of the traverse-rail up and down. The said tightener-roll is intended to take up the slack forming in the chain as the traverserail moves from either limit of the traverse toward an intermediate point ofthe latter, and to pay out the chain again as the travserial No. 679,183.

brecht, one ofthe present inventors, namely Serial No. 662,669, filed Sept. 14,' 1923; Serial No.` 664,510, filed Sept.'24, 1923; and Serial No. 664,511, filed Sept. 24, 1923.

In conformity with the first improvement Y aforesaid, a bobbin-shaft chain-drive mechanism of the said type is provided with means for positively controlling the tightener-roll so as to cause it to operate in proper correlation with the up and down movements of the traverse-rail. The said means preferably consists in a tightener-roll controlling cam.

One object of the said first improvement is to provide an improved tightener-roll device for the said chain-drive mechanism. Another is to provide a positively controlled tightene-r-roll. One purpose of thejinvention is to provide a tightener-roll device which shall have equal effectiveness in taking up slack, whether the drive-chain is caused to travel in one direction orthe reverse direction, as for instance whether the chain travels in the direction for causing the bobbins to be rotated in the proper direction for imparting a right hand twist to the rovings, or is caused to travelin the reverse direction in order to cause the bobbins to be rotated reversely for imparting a left hand twist. This improvement renders it rpracticable by Vmeans of the chain-drive to drive the bobbin-shafts in either the direction required for putting right hand twist into rovings, or

in the reverse direction, either for putting left hand twist into. rovings or for enabling a roving frame to be operated as a twister.

The improvement in connection with `the bearings for the butts or end-sections of the bobbin-shafts of a roving frame provides for vgreater convenience in assembling the said bearings and the said butts or end-sections in proper working relations with the slide at the head-end of the traverse-rail, and in disassembling the parts.

The improvement .in connection with the cover aforesaid provides improved means for supporting it in proper relations with the drive-chain and the driving sprocket that is combined with the sleeve oi" the compound or dierential.

hlmbodiments of the features of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which latten*V Fig. l is a view of a portion et a roving fra-Ine having the improvements applied thereto, in section in a vertical plane entending troni front to rear.v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the arts which are shown in Fig. l. with the top cover-sections removed or partly breiten away.

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in sect-ion on line 3-3 ot' Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated hy the arrows at the ent s ot suchline.

Fig. t is a. view in vertical section on line ie-ll of Fig.

Fics. 5, 6 and 7 are det-ail perspective views.

Fig. 8 shows a grooved tightener-rcll actuating cam.

Fig. 9 is a view in section on line 9 9 of Fig. 2.

The dra vings do not show the usual traverse-rail et a roving traine. but th ey do show the features ot the invention applied in connection with a rail head-end slide l illustrated separately in Fig. which, in practice is connected with the head end et said rail, its outer side having as usual a groove ll receiving a vertically- VXtending guiderib 2 (Figs. 1,2, 3) upon the head 5 (Figs. l and 2) 01"' the machine-trame, on which guide-rib the slide inoves up and down iu the vertical traversing` movements oif the traverse-rail. The drawings show also the cover-sections 2l, 22, Figs. l, 2, 8, si., constituting the bobhin-shatt gear-box and attached to the said slide by neans et suitable bolts lll, ill, and in addition show the socalled butts or end-sections fi. 4f, ot the two bobbin-shafts which are associated th the. traverse-rail. they being mounted inV b arings 5, 5. and 5l, 52, and et, in connection with the bottoni cover-section 2l and the saidslide l. The said bohhir-shatts, two in number as required tor the driving ot the two longitudinal lines oit bobhins surrounding the two longitudinal lines of flierspindles employed in a roving` traine. are driven through the illustrated chain-drive connections from sprocket-wheel Gl fixed upon the sleeve (i, Figs. "i, 2. 3. surrounding the main shaft 7. the said sleeve being an element of the compound or differential ot the roving trame, and heilig driven in well-known mannerv at progressively varying speed in the operation of theV roving frame.

ln practice, the chain-drive mechanism in connection with which the iirst improvement is applied may vary in diierent respects. as will appear from the three patent applications to which reference has heen made.

nearest The accompanying drawings illustrate only one oit the diierent toi-nis chain-drive mechanism to which the said improvement is applicable. The illustrated torni includes the two driven sprocket-wheels 8. 8. Figs. l., 2 and et, which i'espec ively are lined upon the respective butts or end-sections et the hohhin-shaits7 and a sprocket-chain Figs. l and 2, constituting a one-step drivingchain Connection between. sproclet-wheel 6l and sprocket-wheels 8, 8. The said sprocketchain extends part way around the driving sprocket-wheel Gl. in engagement with the latter, one run ot the chain being extended from the lower portion of wheel (il forward beneath both et' the sprocket-wheels S, S, and in direct engagement with the lower portions ot both. the chain then extending part wai7 around the wheel of the forward bobbin-shaitt d its upper run extending rearward above both wheels 8, S, to the upper portion ot the wheel 6. The total length ot the chain 9 is sufficient to perinit the required extent of up and down traverse movements of the traverse-rail to occur. W'hen the uriving sprocket-wheel (il rotates in the direction indicated by the full-line arrow marked thereoin the upper run oit the drive-chain is the taut working run; the lower run is Vthe idle or return run. A tightener-roll acts upwardly against the under side ot the said lower run. s in the case ot the various chain-urive mechanisms of the applications which have been mentioned the said tightener-roll is cinployed for the purpose of taking up such slack as may tend to form in the chain as the traverse-rail. moves from. either limit ot its traverse toward the niddle point of the traverse, thereby keeping the idle or return run from slatting loosely up and down, and holding the chain in proper engagement with the rear hobhin-shatt wheel 8. The tightener-roll yields up slael: as the traverse-rail nears either limit oit its traverse nd the drive-chain tautens. As in the pat-- nt applications atoresaif the i'iightener-roll in this instance is journaled in the arms ot a cradle or hanger lO that is mounted in such relations with the rear bobbin-shatt 8 that it swings concentrically around such shaft. As a convenient construction for the embodiment of the iirst improvement coinprised in the present invention. one side-arm ot said cradle or hanger is herein titted to the inner b ing. 5, of the rear bobbii'i-Y shaft with capacity to rock thereon, and the other side-erin, as shown in Fig. si, is fitted upon and keyed to the outer bearing, 52, ot such shaft, so that bearing 52 and cradle or hanger l0 shall rock in unison. This construction provides for the said rocking movement of the cradle or hanger l0 around the bobbin-shaft 8. ln its taking-up movement such movement being upward in the case of the illustrated construction, the tightener-roll tends to wrap the slack or idle run of the drive-chain more completely around the rear sprocket-wheel 8. VThe weight of the portion 101 of the cradle or hanger 10 at the front of the rear bobbinshaft may be sufiicient to counter-balance more or less completely that of roll 90, etc., at the rear of said shaft, and, in addition, the weight of the lower run of the chain, or an equivalent spring may be employed for such purpose. The effect of such weight, or spring, acting atthe front ofthe rear bobbin-shaft 4, may be sufficient to overbalance the weight of the roll, etc., at the rear of such shaft so that, in the case of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to a, when the drive-chain moves in the direction indicated by the full-line arrow on sprocket-wheel 61 in Fig. 1, the roll will be actuated yieldingly to take up such amount of the slack asmay not be taken up through the action of thev controlling cam. A

A yieldingly actuated tightener-roll will not give satisfactory results when driving sprocket-wheel 61 rotates in the reverse direction, namely the direction indicated by the dotted line arrow in Fig. 1. In suoli case the pull acts through the lower run, tightening the latter, and this action would have the effect of forcing the tightener-roll down, permitting objectionable slack to form in the upper run in proportion to the straightening of the lower run. For this reason, the invention makes provision for positive cont-rol of the tightener-roll so as to prevent it from ceasing to function when the direction of rotation is reversed.

The drawings show positive controlling means constituted by a cam, which may be either an edge cam 12 as in Figs. 1, 2, 3 a, or a grooved cam 125 as in Fig. 8. In t-he case of the former the working edge 121, and in the case of the latter a wall of the groove 126, cooperates with a followerroll 122 carried by an arm 123, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, projecting from t-he bearingv 52. Each of the said cams is shaped to provide for rocking movement of the cradle or hanger 10 to take Vup slack inthe chain in the first partof a traverse in either direction, and to pay out chain in the latter portion of such traverse. The edge cam 12 will ensure the required action of the tightener-roll, while leaving the latter free to be actuated by ove-rweighted portion 101 of cradle or hanger 10 to take up any slack in excess of that taken up through the action of the cam. In the case of the grooved cam the action of the overbalancing weight or spring is not so important unless the camgroove is wide enough to permit considerable play of the follower-roll 122 transversely of the groove.

In general practice, when a yieldingly actuated tightener-roll is combined with a V bined with the tight working run of the chain, because the tension of the said run would render the roll ineffective as a means of taking up. This latter fact would render theyieldingly actuated tightener-roll of noV avail in the case of a reversal of the direction of movement of the drive-chain. Consequently the chain-drive arrangements of the patent applications hereinbefore mentioned are iadapted for driving the bobbin-V shafts in one direction only. They do not permit of driving Vvthe bobbin-shafts in the reverse direction,inasmuch as reversal ofV the direction of movement of the drive-chain would render the yieldingly actuated tightener-roll of such arrangements ineffective to control'the slack of the drive-chain. This is due to' the fact that in the case of such reversal the previously slack run engaged by the tightener-roll Vwould Ybecome theY working run and would tighten so that the consequent tension thereof wouldl be too great to permit the tightener-roll to have sufficient effect thereon to take up the chain. Slack Vwould form in theopposite run, the latter having now become the slack run. In

Ithe case of a cam-controlled, tightener-roll,

however, the position of such ro-ll is determined by the controlling cani,.which renders the action positive in taking up slack. Consequently, reversalofV the direction of movement of the chain does not interfere with the performance of the taking-up func,-`V tion; the cam continues to actuat-e the roll to take up slack in the chain. In operation the tightener-roll will bend the chain upwardto properly varying ,extents between said sprocket-wheel 61 and the rear driven sprocket-wheel 8, and thereby prevent the downward displacement of the tight-enerroll and consequent slackening ofthe top run of the chain that would result in the absence of such control.

Referring now to the Y improvement in bobbin-shaft bearings. The said improvement applies in connection with the bearings 51, '52, next adjacent the frame-head 3. The closeness of the slide 1 to the said head is such as to make it inconvenient to eifect endwise insertion or removal of a bearing. In accordance with the present invention open topped bearing-receiving pockets 151, 151, Figs. 2, 3, 1, 5, areprovided in connect-ionwith slide 1, to receive the said bearings 51, V52. Provision is made for holding the bearings .in place within the pockets 151, 151. In'this instance the lower edge of cover-top 22 holds the bearings from rising. In the absence of the cover-top the bearings may be put into the pockets Vby dropping them inv from above and removal may be effect-ed by lifting them up out of the pool-Iets. lli-Then the cover-top is in place it secures the hearings and the butts or endsections of the bohhin-shafts in Working position. A radial shoulder 53 on each bearing acts, through engagement with the inner side ot the slide, to prevent displacement of the bearings endivise toward head 8. Ilhe inner portion oieach hearing serves as a spacer between the slide and the hub of the corresponding bobbin-shai't sprocket-Wheel 8, to prevent endivise Inovement of the corresponding hobbin-shat toward the head 3. The top ot bearing; 5l is slabbed oil, as shown best in 7, so that through the engagement ci' the lower edge of cover-top 22 with the flat upper surface o'f said top the said bearing is held from rotating Wit-h the corresponding hobbin-shatt. rThe bearirg` 52 is rounded cil on top to permit the same to turn under the said lower edge, as necessary -lor the operation ot the tightener-roll 90. Such bearing is restrained `from turning,` in unison with the corresponding hohbin-shatt through its connection With the cradle or hanger l0 and also through the contact of roll 122 of arm 123 with the acting edge of the roll-controlling cam.

The cover-sections 93, 941, for the driving sprocket-Wheel 6l and the adiacent portions of the drive-chain 9 are scoured together by means of the bolts 95, 95, a torivard eX- tension of the top-section being pimtalhY engaged at 96, Fig. l, with slide l, While the rear portion of said section is llturnished With a contact-piece 97, Fig. 3, vhieh rests upon the inner end of a bearing-sleeve or ybushing Tl through which the main shaft eX- tends as shoivn best in Fig. 9. rlhe connected cover-sections QS, Se, thereby7 are supported at the rear While thej,Y rock around such point of support in unison with the up and dovvn travcree-movements ot the traverserail. The hearing-sleeve or bushing 'Tl is mounted in connection with head-end 3 of the machine-:trame by means of a bearingplate .7 2 applied in connection With the headend. The bashing lits loosely.7 Within a. hole through the said bearing-plate, being held from rotation by means of lug 78 projecting, radiall7 :trom the bushing into a notch in the bearing-plate. An annular shoulder 74 on the hushin' engages with the edge of the said hole through the bearing-plate to prevent endwise movement ot the bushing in one direction, While the inner end of the bushing abuts against the adjacent end of sleeve 6, whereby endivise movement of the bushing in the other direction is prevented. nasmuch as bushing 71 is a nonrotating part there is no excessive Wear between the contact-piece 97 and the bushing, as Would be the case if said contact-piece rested upon a revolving member. To hold the cover 93, 94, from sidewise movement,

the bushing is formed with a groove 75 Within Which the lower edge of the contactce is entered.

lli/That is claimed as the invention is l. ln chain-driven mechanism, the coniation ivith a 'l ing sprocket-Wheel, a i 'ven sprocketeel partalting oipw traverse inovoin te, a or .fe-chain passing' around hoth of the said sprocket-Wheels, and a tightene. :ill with said drivechain intermediate the said sprocketnheels, c' positively controlling the tightene oll and it to leep the slaclt talen up dur d the up and down Ureinents ot` the traverse.

n chain-drive echanism, the comnon 'with a driving sprocket-Wheel, a driven sprocket Wheel partaking ot traverse i enients, a drive-chain passing around of the said snrocltet-Wheels, and a itener-roll engaging With said drive- .in intermediate the said sprocket-Wheels, controlling the tightener-roll and to lreep the taken up during 'the up and down movements of the traverse. ln a roving,` frame, the combination tth 'a d iving sprocket-Wheel in operative connection with the compound or different' front and rear vertically-traversing noohin-shatts respectively having sprocketa drive-chain through which said di ivng sprocket-Wheel actuates both of said behind-shafts, and a ti glitener-roll engaging said drive-chain, of means hy which as the traverse-moveinents take place the tightener is actuated in correlation With such .moven'icnt-s to keep the slack positively taken up. el. n a roving frame, Vthe combination with a driving sprocket-Wheel in operative connection Wit-h the compound or differential, liront and rear vertically-traversing hohbin-sha ts respectively havin@ sprocketivhecls, a dr've-chain through which said di" 'ag sprocket-Wheel actuates both of the be. ain-shafts, and a tightener-roll engaging s' drive-chain, of a cam controlling the t l slack positively J ightener-roll and keeping taken up.

5. ln a roving frame, the combination with a driving sprocket-Wheel in operative connection With thev compound or difierential, a vertically-traversing bobbin-shaft having a sprocket-Wheel, a drive-chain through Which said driving sprocket-Wheel actuates said bobbin-shaft, and a tightenerroll coacting with said drive-chain, of a nontraversing cain by which the tightener-roll is controlled during the traverse movements to keep slack positively taken up.

6. ln a roving` frame, the combination with a driving sprocket-Wheel which does not partake oi" traverse-movements, a vertically-traversing bobbin-shaft provided with a sprocket-Wheel, a drive-chain through Which said driving sprocket-Wheel actuates said bobbin-shat, and atightener-roll partaking oi' the traverse-movements and coactving with the drive-chain, of a stationary cam controlling the tightener-roll so as to keep slack positively taken up.

7 In a roving frame, the combination with a driving sprocket-wheel which does not partake of traverse-movements, a verticallytraversing bobbin-shaft provided with a sprocket-wheel, a drive-chain through which said driving sprocket-wheel act-uates said bobbin-shaft, a tightener-roll coacting with the drive-chain, and a tightener-roll cradle mounted concentrically with said bobbinshaft, of a cam by which said cradle is rocked during the traverse-movements so as to keep slack positively taken up.

8. In a roving frame, the combination with a driving sprocket-wheel which does not partake of traverse-movements, a bobbin-shaft having a sprocket-wheel, a vertically-traversing slide, a bobbin-shaft bearing supported by said slide, a drive-chain through which said driving sprocket-wheel actuates said bobbin-shaft, a tightener-roll acting against the drive-chain, a tightenerroll cradle connected with said bearing, and a cam operating to rock said bearing to thereby actuate the tightener-roll to keep the slack positively taken up during the traverse-movements- 9. In a roving frame, the combination with a frame-head, a bobbin-shaft, and a bobbin-shaft bearing, of a vertically-moving traverse-rail slide close beside said framehead having an open topped pocket for said bearing permitting vertical application and removal of the bearing. p

10. In a roving frame, the combination with a frame-head, front and rear bobbinshafts, and bobbin-shaft bearings, of a vertically-moving traverse-rail slide close beside the said frame-head having front and rear open-topped pockets for said bearings permitting vertical application and removal oi the respective bearings.

l1. In a roving frame, the combination with a frame-head, a bobbin-shaft, and a bobbin-shaft bearing, of a vertically-moving traverse-rail slide close beside said framehead having an open-topped pocket for said bearing permitting vertical application and removal of the bearing, and a removable cover in connection with said slide which engages said bearing to keep it in working position in the pocket.

12. In a roving frame, the combination shafts, and bobbin-shaft bearings, of a vertically-moving traverse-rail slide close besidev the said frame-head having front and rear open-topped pockets for said bearings permitting vertical application and removal of the respective bearings, and a removable gear-box cover which engages said lbearings to keepthem in working position in the pockets.

13. In a roving frame, the combination with a shaft, a compound-sleeve concentric with said shaft, a traverse-rail, a bobbinshaft drive-mechanism extending between said compound-sleeve and the traverse-rail, and a cover enclosing said drive-mechanism, swinging up and down in unison with the traverse-movements of the traverse-rail, of a non-rotating bushing through which said shaft extends and upon which the rear portion of the cover rests, said bushing constituting a support :for said rear portion.

14. In a roving frame, the combination with a shaft, a compound-sleeve concentric with said shaft, a traverse-rail, a bobbinshaft drive-mechanism extending between said compound-sleeve and the traverse-rail, and a cover enclosing said drive-mechanism, swinging up and down in unison withthe traverse-movements of `the traverse-rail, of a bushing, held from rotation and from endwise movement, through which said shaft extends, upon which the rear portion oi the cover rests s'o that-such portion is supported thereby, and withv which said portion engages to prevent sidewise movement of the cover.

l5. In a roving frame, the combination with a fixed portion of the machine-frame, a bearing-plate applied thereto, a shaft, a compound-sleeve concentric with said shaft, a traverse-rail, a b'obbin-shat drive-mechanism extending between said compoundsleeve and the traverse-rail, and a cover enclosing said drive-mechanism, swinging up and down in unison .with the traverse-movements of the traverse-rail, of a non-rotating bushing through which said shaft extends, held from endwise movement between said bearing-plate and the compound-sleeve, with the rear portion of the cover resting upon said bushing so as to support suchportion, and with the said portion engaged with the bushing so as to prevent sidewise movement of the cover,

GEORGE F'. ALBREGHT. HARRYBROOK. 

